59, They Called Her Winnie

Mershon Niesner lost her mother when she was 8 years old. Her mom, Winnifred, was 34. Mershon and her father made a go of it living on their own. It was 1954 and you didn't hardly see a single father raising a daughter. But Mershon's dad made it work for the both of them.

Coming to us at a young 76 years old, Mershon has the honor of being the person with the most grief experience in the history of Parentless Podcast. Mershon explains that she has dealt with many types of loss, one of those being divorce, which was the toughest type of loss for her to navigate.

On Mershon's 75th birthday, she published a book to help other grievers figure out what is next after mother loss. The following is found in the description of the book found on Amazon: "Mershon interviewed over fifty daughters giving readers a broad perspective on mother loss. Stories and advice comes from daughters of teen and young adult loss, loss through homicide, abandonment, and Alzheimer’s.

Mershon writes from her heart as she shares over seventy years of mother loss experience. Readers come away with a sense of camaraderie, insight into how to move forward, and compassion for the experiences of others. Niesner also supports readers as a Certified Life Coach by posing valuable coaching questions at the end of each step."

Follow this link to get the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Moms-Gone-Now-What-Daughters/dp/0974307610/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mom%27s+gone%2C+now+what&qid=1645094034&sr=8-1

Mershon's father, Leon, passed away when he was 92. Merson shares what it was like to be raised by a single father, and the sacrifices that he made for her over the years. They had more of a partnership and worked together to make their home run. Mershon is now working on her second book, which is based in Nebraska and focuses on the time period when her father's grandparent's were alive.

Mershon writes in her blog at least weekly, and it covers all aspects of life, not just mother loss. Visit her Mershon to at her blog listed below.

Mershon's Advice: "Move forward doesn't mean forget."

Book recommendations:

When Bad Things Happen to Good People:
https://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Happen-Good-People/dp/1400034728

How To Be Your Own Best Friend
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+be+your+own+best+friend&i=stripbooks&crid=1EI7VL3465SWS&sprefix=how+to+be+your+own+best%2Cstripbooks%2C118&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_23

Instagram: @mershonniesner
Website: https://www.mershonniesner.com/
Email: mershonniesner@gmail.com
Blog: www.motherloss.blog

If you'd like to donate to Tim Harris' project of providing free therapy to at least one person for one year, please visit www.grievingisbreathing.com/donate

This is a Back Home Media production, recorded and produced in Phoenix, AZ.

Additional production and music by Ian Releford.

Music by Colen Lococo and The Revolving Birds.

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